Flatiron



@d. 8, 1935. A Z 2,016,300

FLATIRON Filed March 51, 1933 ZAL 1 Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES FLATIRON Walter M. Schwartz, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Proctor & Schwartz, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa.', a corporation of Pennsylvania I Application March 31, 1933, Serial No. 663,827

11 Claims. (01. 68-26) This invention relates to improvements in fiat irons, and a principal object of the invention is to provide a stable support upon which the heated iron may safely rest, said support constituting an 5 integral element of the structure of the iron and being itself so constituted as to offer no interference to the normal manipulation of the iron in the ironing operations.

To this general end, another object of the in- 10 vention is to provide a support for flat irons con- .stituting an integral element of the iron structure which. shall be adjustable from a. retracted position, in which it is substantially encased Within the body of the iron, to an extended or 15 operative position in which itis capable of supporting the heated portions ofthe iron clear of the underlying supporting surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a supportingdevice of the stated character 20 which shall be semi-automatic in operation, as

hereinafter more specifically set forth, to thereby simplify its operation and to this end, the invention contemplates the provision of a supporting device for flat irons which shall support the iron 25 in a substantially normal or horizontal position with respect to the underlying surface and which is automatically retracted to a position affording no interference with the normal manipulation of the iron when the latter is elevated by the handle from the supporting surface preparatory to use.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a support device of the character stated which shall be applicable to electric irons of the type now in general use. 35 The invention further resides in certain novel structural features and details hereinafter set forth and illustrated in'the attached drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an electric flat iron provided with a supporting device made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the iron; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the iron as 45 illustrated in Fig. 1, a portion of the casing being cut away to show the details of the support actuating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detached view in perspective of one of '50 the elements of the support actuating mechanism, and e Fig.1? is an elevational view corresponding to that of Fig. 4 but showing the support in the retracted position.

With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the

iron therein illustrated comprises the usual body portion l including the hot plate 2 atthe bottom and the casing 3, which in the present instance encloses the electrical heating means, including the heating elements which are suitably associ- 5 ated with the plate 2. The usual handle 4 is secured at the top of the. casing 3 in the usual manner, and at the rear of the handle are the usual terminals 5 of the electrical heating apparatus and the socket 6 for reception of the plug 10 on the Wire or cable by means of which the iron is connected to the source of potential. In all of the foregoing respects, the iron may be of standard construction.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the iron is shown supported, with the plate 2 elevated well above the underlying surface, by a pair of parallel arms I, l which extend forwardly in spaced relation from the rear of the iron, to which they are pivotally connectedby upwardly extending angular arms 8, 8. As shown in Fig. 5, each of the arms 8 is secured at its upper 'end to a shaft .9 which extends through an opening in the casing 3 and into a journal recess formed in the rear of the plate 2. The shafts 9 may be turned in their bearings to swing the arms 8 and the supporting arms 1 to the positions shown in Fig. 7, wherein the arms 1 lie within longitudinal recesses I 0 in the sides of the casing l and. wherein the arms 8 lie entirely within the limits of the transverse sectional outline of the body I of the iron. It will be noted that the arms 1 are substantially semicircular in cross sectional form so that when they occupy the recesses I 0, their exposed surfaces substantially conform and lie in alignment with the exterior surface of the iron, thus maintaining the desirable smooth surface of the casing 3. This semicircular form also provides, as shown in Fig. 4, a relatively small surface contact between the arms and the underlying surface when the arms are adjusted to their operative positions. It will also be noted by reference to Fig. 3 that the arms I are provided with small projections II which engage the bottom of the recesses l0 and maintain a clearance between the-curved surface of the arms and the opposite surfaces of the recesses l0.

For actuating the shafts 9 and the associated supporting arms, each shaft is provided With'a pinion I2, this pinion being located in the present instance intermediate the rear end of the plate 2 and the rear apron of the casing 3. Meshing respectively with the pinions l2 are racks l3, 13 which dependfromopposite sides of a plate I4 slidably mounted at the rear of the iron and beneath the rear apron of the casing. This plate is provided with a vertical slot l5 extending upwardly from the approximate center of the lower edge for reception of a retaining screw l6 which is threaded into a plate 11, see Fig. 5, secured to and extending upwardly from the rear end of the hot plate 2. The plate M isfurther supported and guided in its normal path of travel by ribs l8, It on the plate I! which extend into vertical slots I9, is in the plate ll. The screw-l6 also constitutes a support for a coiled spring 20, the arms of which extend in opposite directions and engage the under side of lugs 2|, 2| projecting from the rear face of the plate I4. This.

spring exerts a pressure tendingto force the plate upwardly to the relatively elevated position in which it is shown in Fig. 7 and to retain the at a point adjacent the forward lower end of the.

handle bracket 24. The outer end of the crank 22 is offset forwardly and projects into a horizontal slot 25 in the plate l4; while at the for .as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that its upper flattened and recessed end 2'! lies under and adjacent the forward end of the handle I and in positon to be readily engaged by the thumb when the handle is gripped inthe usual manner.

The handle 26 occupiesthe full line position of Fig. 2 when the plate l4 and the crank 22 are in the positions shown in Fig. '7, which correspond to the retracted positions of the iron supporting elements. The arm 26 may be readily shifted by pressure of the thumb to the broken line position shown in Fig. 2, which moves the crank arm 22 downwardly into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, and thereby depresses the plate 14, the resulting downward movement 'of the racks l3 effecting through the pinions l2 a partial rotation of the shafts 9, and bringing the arms I and 8 into their extended or operative positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The weight of the iron may now be permitted to come upon the arms 1 and is suflicient to hold the arms in the extended positions against the tendency of the spring 20 to return the parts to their original or retracted position. By reason of the spacing of the arms I and of their length as compared to the overall length of the iron, the support afforded is an extremely stable one and the iron is also held in the normal substantially horizontal position, from which it may readily be picked up for subsequent ironing operations. As soon as the iron is elevated and the supporting arms I are relieved of the superimposed weight, the spring 20 promptly returns the parts to their original retracted positions without necessity for further manipulation of the lever arm 26 by the operator, the retractive movement of the support being thereby entirely automatic. When retracted, the supporting elements offer no obstruction to or interference with the normal manipulation of the iron, the parts with the exception of the arms 8 which occupy a' position at the rear and unused part of the iron, lying entirely within the normal contour of the body portion I. The arms I are continually exposed to circulating. air currents even in the retracted position by reason of the clearance afforded by the projections H between the arms I and the 5 surfaces of the recesses Ill. Air also circulates freely around the arms when in the operative position, the major portion of the surface of the arms being exposed to the air by reason of the limited contact between the lower edge of the semicircular arms and the supporting surface.

The device is simple in form and may be manufactured at relatively low expense. It eliminates the undesirable features of the separate supports previously used and of those prior supports which i means, for normally retracting said elements, and

manually-actuated means for moving said elements into the operative position.

2. The combination with a flat iron having longitudinal recesses in the sides thereof, of elements 3 adjustably mounted on 'said iron and adapted normally to occupy saidrecesses, and means for adjustingsaid elements from the recesses to a position underlying the hot plate of said iron wherein said elements constitute a support for 5 maintaining the iron and said hot plate in an elevated position above an underlying surface.

3. The combination with a flat iron, of a pair of shafts journaled in and projecting from the rear end of the body of said iron, arms secured 40 to the projecting ends of said shafts, elongated elements at the outer ends of said arms extending longitudinally of the iron, and means for rotating said shafts to adjust said longitudinal elements from retracted positions to positions below the hot plate of the iron whereby said elements constitute a stable support maintaining said iron above an underlying surface.

4. The combination with a flat iron, of a pair of shafts journaled in and projecting from the rear end of the body of said iron; arms secured to the projecting ends of said shafts, elongated elements at the outer ends of said arms extending longitudinally of the iron, means for rotating said shafts to adjust said longitudinal elements from retracted positions to positions below the hot plate of the iron whereby said elements constitute a stable support maintaining said iron above an underlying surface, and resilient means associated with said shaft-actuating mechanism and co tending to maintain said elements in the retracted positions.

5. The combination with a flat iron, of means adjustable from retracted to extended positions and operative in the extended position to constitute a stable support for the iron, and mechanism for actuating said support means housed in the interior of saidiron and comprising an operating handle projecting through the casing in a position adjacent the handle of said iron. 7o

6. A flat iron comprising a substantially U- shaped element having one end extending longitudinally of and journaled in the iron, said element being adjustable on said journal between retracted and extended positions, and in the ex- 76 tended position constituting a support for the iron.

'7. A flat iron comprising a substantially U- shaped element having one end extending forwardly into the rear end of the iron and con stituting a journal on which the element is adjustable to retracted and extended positions, said element in the extended position constituting a shaped element having one end extending into the rear end of the iron and constituting a journal on which the element is adjustable to retracted and extended positions, the other end of said element extending longitudinally of the iron to a point beyond the center of gravity of the latter and, in the extended position of said ele ment, underlying the iron.

9. A fiat iron comprising a substantially U- shaped element having one end extending into the rear end of the iron and constituting a journal on which the element is adjustable to retracted and extended positions, the otherend of said element extending longitudinally of the iron to a point beyond the center of gravity of the latter and, in the extended position of said element, underlying the iron, and said iron having in its side a recess adapted to receive the lastnamed end of the element when the latter is' retracted.

10. A flat iron comprising a substantially U- shaped element having one end extending into the rear end of the iron and constituting a journal on which the element is adjustable, the free end of said element extending forwardly and being adjustable with said element into alternative.

positions respectively underlying the iron and closely adjacent the side thereof.

11. A fiat iron comprising an element adjustably mounted at the rear of said iron and having forwardly projecting portions one of which' port means pivotally mounted in the rear of the iron, said means comprising a plurality of arms for actuating said support means to adjust said 5' .arms between a retracted inoperative position and an operative position underlying the iron, said means comprising a'manual actuating element for adjusting the arms to the operative position, and automatic means for returning the arms to the retracted position.

14. A fiat iron comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped elements, one end of each of said elements projecting into the rear end of said iron and constituting journals on which said elements are individually adjustable between positions in which the free ends of said elements lie close against opposite sides of said iron respectively and underneath said iron, said free ends in the latter positions constituting a stable support for the iron.

15. A flat iron comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped elements, one end of each of said elements projecting into the rear end of said iron and constituting journals on which said elements are individually adjustable between positions in which the free ends of said elements lie close against opposite sides of said iron respectively and underneath said iron, said free ends in the latter positions constituting a stable support for the iron, manual means for adjusting said elements into their operative iron-supporting positions, and automatic means for returning said elements to their inoperative position.

16. A flat iron comprising a body member, support means for the iron adjustably mounted on said body member, actuating mechanism for said support means'also mounted on said body member, a removable cover element on said body memher for housing said mechanism, and an actuating element for said mechanism extending through said cover.

17. A fiat iron comprising a pair of l J-shaped elements, one end of each of said elements projecting into the back of the iron and being journaled in the latter, the other ends of said elements extending forwardly and respectively at the opposite sides of said iron, and said elements being adjustable upon their journals to move said forwardly extending ends outwardly and downwardly around the side edges of said iron to positions underlying the latter, in which positions they constitutesupports for the iron.

WALTER M. SCHWARTZ. 

